Theatre Arts and Performance Studies Courses (THEA)

111 Theatre and Society / 3 UNITS
This course studies theatre as an art form and examines the historical role of theatre in the world and its significance as a cultural force. It involves attending plays, designing projects and/or performing. Satisfies the core curriculum fine arts requirement.

116 Theatre Practicum I / 1 UNITS
A course for majors and minors only. Students serve on a faculty-supervised running crew for a minimum of 30 crew hours (most productions and projects will require more hours). This course is repeatable for up to 3 units.

155 Theatre in Education / 3 UNITS
This course is designed specifically for future elementary school teachers enrolled in the liberal studies major as an introduction to the use of theatre and dance in the classroom. It involves theatre and dance through form, style, history, and cultural perspectives. Students learn the structure and vocabulary of theatre and dance, as well as practical methods of application in the classroom.

230 Acting I / 3 UNITS
This course examines the tradition of the actor as storyteller and challenges students to increase their ability to express their own experience and the experience of others. It involves improvisation, monologue, and scene work, technical methods in voice, physical action, and text analysis. Satisfies the core curriculum fine arts requirement.

302 Acting II / 3 UNITS
Focusing on contemporary dramatic scripts and actor transformation, this course teaches students to work creatively within a structure and to develop an acting process that balances and integrates text analysis and creative imagination. Prerequisite: THEA 230.

305 Technical Theatre with Lab / 4 UNITS
This course covers the primary technical process, the behind-the-scenes work, necessary to mount a theatrical production. It involves stagecraft vocabulary, set construction, lighting and sound technology, stage management, production organization, and theatre architecture. In the technical theatre lab portion of this course, students learn how to put theory into practice in the support of the semester’s theatrical productions. It involves the construction and installation of sets, hanging and focusing lights, and the installation and configuration of the sound system. Hours outside scheduled class time will be required, including some weekends.

316 Theatre Practicum II / 1 UNIT
A course for majors and minors only. Students serve on a faculty-supervised running crew for a minimum of 30 crew hours (most productions and projects will require more hours). This course is repeatable for up to 3 units.

320 Scenic Design / 3 UNITS
This course is an advanced study of theatrical set design. It involves script analysis, research, sketching, model building, drafting and presentations. Students are required to attend theatrical productions, both on and off campus. Prerequisite: THEA 220.

330 Costume Design / 3 UNITS
This course is an advanced study of the process of costuming a theatrical production. It involves how the social impact of clothes translates to theatrical costuming, visual and textual research, play analysis, costume history, rendering, design elements, production procedures, and collaboration with other artists. Prerequisite: THEA 220.

340 Voice and Speech / 3 UNITS
This course will integrate various vocal training approaches and methods in order to encourage vocal growth in the areas of breath support, clarity of speech, diction, and range. It is specifically designed for actors, but can benefit anyone interested in public speaking or in communicating with more clarity and confidence. It involves cultivating vocal potential and performing monologues, scenes, and poetry. Prerequisite: THEA 111 or 230.

360W Theatre History / 3 UNITS
Centering on the contributions of theatre in mirroring cultures, this course examines the roots and development of world theatre, from ancient Greece to modern realism. It involves, along with the reading of plays, the historical approaches to studying the creation of theatre. Prerequisite: THEA 111.

365W Playwriting / 3 UNITS
This course will focus writing scenes and creating work in playwriting format through reading, writing and acting exercises. A final project is the writing of an original one-act play. Prerequisite: THEA 111, 230, or ENGL 121.

369 Contemporary Theatre / 3 UNITS
This course examines diverse contemporary plays, including alternative and avant-garde forms of theatre. It involves textual analysis, production history, and critical theory as is applicable to current dramatic criticism and interpretation. Prerequisite: THEA 111 or permission of instructor.

370 Performance Studies / 3 UNITS

This course focuses on the critical terms and practices of the contemporary study of performance. Several key terms and important genres of artistic and social performance will be engaged through an in-depth analysis of live and recorded performances as well as performance texts. The course will draw disciplinary methodologies from anthropology and ethnography in addition to employing concepts from literary and cultural theory. Projects combine written and performance elements to help students develop as scholar-practitioners.

375C Theatre and Community / 3 UNITS
This course focuses on the use of theatre and performance as a means of exploring social and political issues. Students will examine the skills needed to create theatre for and about specific communities and their concerns. It involves all levels of creation, including researching, interviewing, writing, and performing. When available and appropriate, students will be guided in establishing partnership building with community-based organizations. Cross-listed with community service-learning. Prerequisite: THEA 111, 230, or permission of instructor.

385 Acting for the Musical Theatre / 3 UNITS
This course cultivates the skills of analyzing, interpreting, and performing the two primary texts of the musical theatre song: lyrics and music. By learning the performer’s mind/body connection through researching musical theatre repertoire, students ultimately are prepared for an effective musical theatre singing audition. Prerequisite: THEA 230.

455 Stage Management / 3 UNITS
This course, by examining the role of the stage manager in the theatrical process, prepares students for practical experience and employment in educational or professional theatre, as well as for developing stage management skills in other arts-related or non-related fields. It involves field experience/observation of productions on and off campus. Prerequisites: THEA 116, 230, 305/305L.

494 Special Topics in Theatre / 3 UNITS
Courses examining specific aspects of theatre not covered in other classes. See program listing each semester. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.